For a few seconds, no one spoke.
It wasn't ordinary silence.
It was the kind that felt heavy. Dense. Packed with unspoken words and unfinished reactions.
To me, it felt like minutes were passing — not seconds.
My heartbeat was so loud I was convinced everyone could hear it.
Chak's arm tightened around my shoulders.
He pulled me closer to him — not roughly, not urgently — but firmly. Deliberately.
Like he was anchoring me.
Or shielding me.
I didn't dare look up.
I couldn't.
If I met their eyes, I knew I would crumble.
Pim was the first to blink.
Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"Wait," she whispered. "No. No, no, no. This has to be a misunderstanding."
Her gaze darted between us, then down to Chak's arm around me, then back up again.
Amara looked like someone had just dropped the biggest secret in the universe into her lap.
"You're serious?" she breathed.
I stared at the wooden deck beneath my feet.
My face was burning.
Non suddenly leaned into Pim dramatically.
"Tell me this isn't real," he said weakly, clinging to her arm. "Say it's a prank."
Pim blinked rapidly. "I— I don't think it's a prank."
Non straightened slowly.
He looked at me.
Then at Chak.
Then back at me.
And then—
"Say it's not true," he demanded, pointing at us.
No one answered.
Chak didn't move his arm.
He didn't step away.
He didn't deny it.
Non gasped loudly and leaned against Pim again, as if physically wounded.
"This can't be happening," he said, his voice trembling with theatrical despair.
And then it hit him.
The full wave of drama.
He stepped forward and pointed directly at me.
"You," he accused, eyes wide.
My stomach dropped.
"You stole my future husband."
My head snapped up in shock — just for a second — before I looked down again.
"I already had the wedding planned!" Non continued, growing louder. "I had the outfits designed! The venue selected! I even imagined the first dance!"
Pim slapped his arm. "Stop exaggerating!"
"I am not exaggerating!" Non protested. "Niran took him! He stole my husband!"
Amara covered her mouth, torn between shock and laughter.
Non clutched his chest.
"Where in this world," he cried dramatically, "am I supposed to find another man like our boss?"
The absurdity of it almost made me laugh.
Almost.
But I still couldn't look at them.
My eyes stayed fixed on the floor.
Because even though Non was joking—
This was real.
And they were all staring at us.
Amara's expression slowly shifted.
She stopped looking at me.
She turned instead toward Anamarija.
Anamarija looked calm.
Too calm.
Suspiciously calm.
Amara narrowed her eyes.
"You knew."
It wasn't a question.
Anamarija raised one eyebrow slightly.
Pim followed Amara's gaze.
"Wait," Pim said slowly. "Why do you look like this isn't news to you?"
Non froze mid-dramatic-breath.
He turned toward Anamarija with betrayal written all over his face.
"You knew?" he demanded.
The deck went quiet again.
Chak's hand remained steady on my shoulder.
Warm.
Protective.
Grounding.
And I still didn't dare meet anyone's eyes.
Because I knew—
The real explosion hadn't even started yet.
Anamarija didn't flinch.
She didn't look embarrassed.
She didn't look surprised.
She just looked… composed.
"Yes," she said calmly.
The word dropped like a stone into water.
Non staggered back a step.
"You knew?" he repeated, pointing at her like she had personally betrayed him.
Pim's jaw fell open. "Since when?"
Amara folded her arms, staring at Anamarija with narrowed eyes. "How long have you been sitting on this?"
I felt Chak's thumb brush lightly against my upper arm — a silent signal.
Breathe.
Anamarija glanced at me for a brief second.
Not exposing.
Not accusing.
Just steady.
"I found out the same way you did," she said.
Non blinked. "What does that even mean?"
A small pause.
Then she added, almost casually:
"I walked into the kitchen at home and found them kissing."
My heart stopped.
Oh no.
The kitchen.
The memory flashed instantly in my mind — Chak's hand on my waist, my back pressed against the counter, the soft hum of the refrigerator, the way his lips had moved against mine—
Heat rushed to my face all over again.
"You WHAT?!" Pim gasped.
"At home?" Amara repeated.
Non slowly turned his head toward me like he was watching a dramatic plot twist unfold.
"Kitchen?" he whispered.
Then his eyes widened.
"Home?"
He pointed between Chak and me.
"Does that mean—"
Pim inhaled sharply.
"Niran knows where our boss lives?"
Silence.
My throat went dry.
I could feel everyone staring at me now.
"How many times have you been there?" Amara asked carefully.
I opened my mouth—
But Chak spoke first.
"He lives with me."
The world exploded.
"WHAT?!" Non shouted so loudly that even I flinched.
Pim physically grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself. "You LIVE together?"
Amara's eyes widened to impossible sizes. "Since when?!"
Non clutched his chest again. "This is too much. This is emotional violence."
I wanted to disappear.
Actually disappear.
Chak, however, didn't loosen his hold on me.
If anything—
His arm tightened slightly.
"Yes," he said calmly. "He lives with me."
Pim covered her mouth.
"So that's why…" she whispered. "That's why you're always so protective."
Non stared at us in disbelief.
"You two have been living together," he said slowly, "and we didn't notice?"
"You're terrible friends!" Amara accused dramatically.
Chak's tone shifted slightly.
"Enough."
One word.
Instant silence.
"If any of you tell anyone about our relationship," he continued coldly, "you're fired."
Their faces paled immediately.
"And I will personally make sure you don't find work in this industry again."
Non swallowed.
"And you will pay one million baht for breaking confidentiality."
Pim nodded quickly. "We're not saying anything!"
Non raised both hands. "I value my life!"
Amara shook her head. "We would never."
Chak's gaze softened slightly.
But only slightly.
Non hesitated.
"…What about Anamarija?"
Chak turned his head toward her.
"She has known for a long time," he said evenly. "If she hasn't told anyone by now, I doubt she ever will."
Then something changed.
He smiled at her.
Not the sharp, controlled smile he gave in meetings.
Not the polite one.
This one was warm.
Real.
Amara noticed immediately.
"That smile…" she whispered.
Chak glanced at her briefly.
"That one is reserved for people close to my heart."
The words made my chest tighten.
Anamarija smiled faintly back.
And for the first time since everything exploded—
I dared to lift my eyes.
Just for a second.
Just enough to see that the shock on their faces was slowly turning into something else.
Not anger.
Not betrayal.
Something softer.
Something like understanding.
And somewhere beneath my embarrassment—
I realized something too.
We weren't hiding anymore.
For a moment, everything felt too loud. Non's dramatic accusations, Pim's sharp stare, Amara's unreadable expression — it all pressed against my chest until I could barely breathe.
And then—
Anamarija moved.
She didn't rush. She didn't hesitate either. She simply stepped forward with that calm elegance she always carries, the same composed energy that made me feel small and exposed at the same time.
She came straight to me.
Before I could react, her arms wrapped around me.
Warm. Steady. Protective.
I froze.
Her embrace wasn't weak or uncertain. It was firm, grounding. As if she was telling the entire room without words: I'm on his side.
She leaned closer and whispered softly, just for me.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore. You deserve this. Both of you do."
My throat tightened.
I didn't even realize my hands had started trembling until she gently squeezed them.
"I saw how you looked at each other," she continued quietly. "That's not something you steal. That's something you fight for."
My eyes burned. I still couldn't look at Pim. Or Non. Or Amara.
But I could look at her.
"Thank you," I whispered, barely audible.
She pulled back slightly and gave me a small smile — calm, proud.
Then she turned to Chak.
For a split second, something softer crossed her face.
She walked to him.
And Chak — who rarely shows affection in front of anyone — opened his arms without hesitation.
She stepped into them.
He held her tightly. Strongly. Like someone he trusts completely.
"I told you," she said quietly.
Chak let out a small breath against her hair.
"He said yes," he replied
My heart skipped.
"And thank you for the help," Chak added, his voice lower now — sincere.
Non immediately stopped fake-sobbing and squinted at them.
"Help? What help?" he sniffed dramatically.
I blinked, confused.
My mind caught up a second later.
I turned toward Chak slowly.
"Help… with what?"
Chak looked at me. That small, unreadable smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"With the surprise."
My brain stopped functioning.
"What surprise?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked back at Anamarija.
"There's something waiting for you in your room," he told her calmly.
She raised an eyebrow. "For me?"
Chak nodded. "You didn't think you'd help organize everything and not get something in return, did you?"
Non gasped loudly.
"Oh my God. Is this a reward system now? Are we getting gifts for emotional damage too?"
Pim elbowed him.
I stared at Chak.
"You planned… all this?" I asked quietly.
He looked at me directly.
"For you? I'd plan the world."
My heart almost betrayed me on the spot.
Anamarija gave me one last reassuring look before stepping back.
"Well," she said softly, "I guess I should go see what kind of mysterious surprise I've earned."
Non dramatically wiped imaginary tears.
"If it's jewelry, I'm switching sides."
Pim rolled her eyes. "You already switched sides three times today."
Amara, who had been watching everything carefully, finally spoke.
"You two are unbelievable," she said — but there was no anger in her tone anymore.
Just disbelief.
And maybe… acceptance.
I still didn't dare meet her eyes fully.
But when I glanced up for half a second, she wasn't angry.
She was smiling.
And for the first time since the confession—
The tension in my chest loosened.
Maybe we weren't falling apart.
Maybe…
We were finally beginning.
The air still felt fragile, like one wrong word could shatter it again.
Then Pim stood up.
She looked at me directly.
And this time… I didn't look away.
Her expression softened — not teasing, not judging.
"I support your love," she said clearly.
Just like that.
Simple. Honest.
My chest tightened all over again, but this time for a different reason.
Before I could even process it, Amara stepped forward too.
"I agree," she added. "If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you two."
My breath caught.
Amara walked toward me first. I instinctively stiffened — but then she hugged me.
Not politely.
Not awkwardly.
Tightly.
"You idiot," she whispered softly near my ear. "You really thought we'd hate you?"
My voice failed me.
Pim joined the hug a second later, wrapping her arms around both of us.
"I can't believe we're witnessing this live," Non muttered dramatically behind us. "Character development. Growth. I'm emotional." This is like BL drama but better."
When they finally let go, I felt lighter.
Safer.
Then Non walked toward me slowly.
Very slowly.
Too slowly.
He stopped right in front of me and narrowed his eyes.
"You still stole my future husband," he declared seriously.
I blinked.
"What—?"
"I had the wedding planned," he continued. "Color scheme. Flowers. Entrance song. Everything."
I couldn't help it — I laughed softly.
But then Non suddenly turned toward Chak.
His expression shifted from dramatic heartbreak to protective menace in 0.2 seconds.
He pointed a finger at him.
"And you," he said sharply. "If you ever hurt Niran… even a little… you will answer to me."
The atmosphere shifted again.
Chak didn't laugh.
He didn't brush it off.
He stepped closer instead.
"You don't have to worry," he said calmly. "I won't."
It wasn't loud.
But it was firm.
And I believed him.
Non studied him for a moment… then nodded once.
"Good. Because I may be dramatic, but I'm also capable of violence."
Pim smacked his arm.
"Sit down before you embarrass yourself again."
We all slowly moved toward the table on the yacht. The tension had dissolved into something warmer — lighter. Plates of fresh fruit were already laid out: watermelon, mango, pineapple.
Normal.
Almost surreal after everything that just happened.
I sat down beside Chak. Our knees brushed under the table. And I leaned my head on his arm.
My heart reacted immediately.
We started eating casually, small conversations overlapping — teasing, laughter, Non still complaining about "emotional betrayal."
And then—
From the entrance of the yacht—
A loud voice echoed.
"WHERE ARE THE LOVEBIRDS?!"
I nearly choked on my mango.
Taeng.
Of course.
Kit walked in right behind him.
They were holding hands.
Actually holding hands.
Confidently.
Until—
They saw everyone.
The entire group turned toward them at the same time.
Silence.
Taeng froze.
Kit froze.
Their hands were still intertwined for a solid two seconds.
Then—
They dropped them immediately.
Like the contact burned.
"What are you all doing here?" Taeng asked too quickly.
Non slowly turned his head toward them.
"Oh?" he said suspiciously. "And what were you two doing?"
Kit cleared his throat. "We came to check the… uh… preparations."
"For the wedding?" Pim asked sweetly.
"Yes," Taeng said at the same time Kit said, "No."
They looked at each other.
The table exploded into laughter.
I felt Chak's hand slowly slide toward mine under the table.
This time—
I didn't pull away.
And for the first time today—
I wasn't afraid of who might see.